>>Back To James Hetfield's Equipment

ESP Explorer 'Snake'

Model: ESP EXP
Color: Black
Inlays: Black Album Snake
Pickups: 2x EMG-81 humbucker
Hardware: 2 volume controls
Can be seen: Live Shit: San Diego
("Sad But True")

First time used live: "Black Album" gigs
Still used live
This guitar is mainly used to be played D-tuned

James' ESP Explorers in general:
They are all based upon the standard ESP EXP serie and were built or overseen by Matt Masciandaro. Meanwhile the EXP serie has been replaced by the ESP EX standard serie which has a sharp shape for its ends and headstock instead of the old EXP serie which was comparable to the rounded shape of the Gibson Explorers.

The difference between the EXP model and James' Explorers:
The difference between James' Explorers and the standard ESP EXP serie is James guitars have set-necks (glued joint) instead of bolt-on necks. Besides the "Black Album" guitars' fingerboards consist of ebony instead of rosewood.

Identic to the EXP model:
The body consists of mahogany, the neck of maple and the fingerboard (with its 22XJ [XJ=extra jumbo] frets) of rosewood. All hardware (the tune-o-matic bridge, the stop piece and tuners) is black. It has one volume control for each pickup.